According to the Russian Association of Tour Operators**, the number of Chinese tourists visiting the northern regions of Russia, such as the Murmansk region and the Republic of Karelia, is growing rapidly.
According to the hotel operator, Chinese tourists (including Hong Kong) accounted for 347%, while in January 2024 it has already reached 4121%。
According to the source, Chinese tourists are attracted to watching the Northern Lights and Russian winters, watching reindeer and whales on the high seas, and taking dog sledding rides. According to the Russian Association of Tour Operators, Chinese tourists in Murmansk are also attracted by sea urchins, oysters, scallops, crabs, salmon, herring, venison, and one of their favorite dishes in Murmansk is grilled cod potatoes with creamy white sauce. As for Karelia, the proportion of Chinese tourists has increased sharply this year (already 126%), while the vast majority are personalized. In addition to outdoor recreation, Chinese tourists are attracted by Karelian cuisine and local specialties such as trout, elk, venison, porcini mushrooms, berry tinctures, etc. According to the Russian Association of Tour Operators, an important factor in attracting foreigners is the agreement with China on visa-free travel for groups, as well as the provision of more favorable conditions for group tourists. Due to the depreciation of the ruble, their foreign currency travel is cheaper than a year ago. According to the Border Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, in 2023 there are 1997.91 million Chinese citizens entered Russia for tourism purposes (in 2022 there were only 842), including nearly 4820,000 visa-free tour group tourists. In 2023, there will be a total of 670,692 foreigners entered Russia for tourism purposes in 2022 (2001.77 million people).35 times.